


As Man As You

by MasterD1mwitt



Category: Naruto
Genre: If trans headcanons bother you then don't read, M/M
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2017-05-22
Updated: 2018-07-01
Packaged: 2018-11-03 20:36:00
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 3
Words: 3,031
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/10974867
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/MasterD1mwitt/pseuds/MasterD1mwitt
Summary: A collection of one shots about Hidan and ftm Kakuzu, some of them will be shippy, some of them not so much. Anything past the first one won't necessarily be posted in chronological order, just as I write them; rating will go up when nsfw is posted!





	1. Chapter 1

On their first mission together that required multiple days to complete, Kakuzu had dreaded the first night. Already he had completed minor objectives before with his new partner, and Hidan had been a pain in the ass the entire time. The man was lucky his religion protected him from death, for Kakuzu was famous among the Akatsuki for his fatal bouts of anger, and Hidan's constant complaining made him have low expectations for their relationship. That day was no different, for in between trekking through the insufferable heat of a desert region and Hidan's preachy rambles, Kakuzu cycled through all the ways he could kill a man, four times. The only reprieve was when the sun finally started to set, but that brought another dilemma.

Since Kakuzu walked ahead of his partner by several paces, Hidan noticed when the older man started to slow down. “Is your age finally getting the best of you?” He jeered; Kakuzu remained silent and fell into a slow walk beside him. “I don't get why they'd let a grandpa like you into the Akatsuki,” Hidan continued with a smirk, “just another reason why I think you guys are full of shit.” Suddenly Kakuzu stopped in his tracks, and Hidan panicked. He threw his hands up to protect himself if his partner decided to punch him and shouted, “Hey, I didn't mean that! I'm just blowing off some steam, ya know? No need to do anything you'd regret!” As much as Hidan boasted about how he could kick Kakuzu's ass without any effort, he wasn't very fond of the other's beatings and didn't especially desire one after traveling under the merciless sun.

“We're stopping here for the night,” Kakuzu stated firmly, his voice sounding...strained. Hidan didn't point it out just yet and just nodded, too tired to start a fight. In the dying light they set up a basic camp; building a fire first and then Hidan took off his cloak and laid it on the dry earth to use in place of a proper mattress. He sat cross legged in front of the flames, observing the other man out of the corner of his eye.

“You okay there, Kakuzu?” Hidan asked more out of boredom than sincere concern; Kakuzu unzipped his cloak slowly, reluctantly. He let it pool around his body and he rolled his shoulders to stretch his back; he had pushed himself past his limits to put off this moment.

As he pulled off his headgear and top, Kakuzu grumbled nonchalantly, “I need to take off my binder.”

“Your what?” Hidan furrowed his brows and stared at Kakuzu as he revealed a garment that looked similar to his top, but cut off just above the bottom of his ribcage.

With a sigh Kakuzu peeled off the constrictive fabric and said, “It's something I wear to compress my breasts.” True to his word, after Kakuzu pulled the binder over his chest two small, round breasts poked out from underneath the hem, then he tossed it aside.

“Wait,” Hidan wondered out loud, “breasts?” Curious, he scooted closer to sit next to Kakuzu, staring wide eyed at his chest; there was no doubting that Kakuzu had femininely shaped pectorals. As annoying as the younger man was, he waited for Hidan to say or do something stupid before he decided if he wanted to punch him. “Why do you have boobs…” he trailed off as the realization dawned on him, Kakuzu folded his arms across his chest and sighed again; the knowledge of what he was was when his past partners had proven themselves to be “incompatible” with him. “So are you one of those people that is like…” Hidan scratched the back of his neck as he struggled with his words, “were you born a girl?”

“I prefer ‘assigned female at birth’, but essentially yes.”

Hidan kept staring at him, and it started to get on his nerves. Kakuzu waited for him to say something, anything; he prepared himself mentally for a barrage of questioning from his partner. A comment about how he wasn't a real man, or maybe a jab at the soundness of his mental health, anything. Instead Hidan seemed satisfied with Kakuzu's response saying, “Alright!” and then flopped down on his side on his cloak.

Kakuzu raised a brow. “What, no snide comment? It's very unlike you.” He said sarcastically as he settled down for the night himself. Facing away from him, Hidan waved him off and yawned exaggeratedly.

“I'm tired as fuck, old friend. But if you like the sound of my voice so much I can-”

“Shut up and go to sleep.”


	2. Chapter 2

“Hey, Kakuzu, how long can you wear your binder thingy?” Hidan asked, breaking the heavy silence; Kakuzu grumbled to himself and shifted the dead body he had slung over his shoulder to rest it more comfortably. “Is that another ‘off limits’ question?”

Kakuzu's partner, while open minded, never knew when to shut up and had begun to poke into his business, bothering him with questions like, “How did you make yourself look like a dude?” “How long have you been binding?” and, “How did you get your voice so deep without balls?” Objectively speaking it wasn't too invasive -Kakuzu had heard much worse- but he didn't do conversations about personal information well. “About six to nine hours,” He replied curtly; he preferred to keep all his fellow Akatsuki members at a comfortable arm's length, have purely professional relationships. Hopefully if he humored Hidan it would make him stop talking.

“That seems like a long time,” Hidan said, to which Kakuzu groaned. They kept walking along the forest path as the younger man continued to babble, “Does it ever hurt? I can't imagine that thing being comfortable…” Kakuzu started to tune out Hidan as his voice became an annoying buzz in his ears, not unlike that of the insects attracted to the dead shinobi he was carrying. “Hey,” Hidan whined, tugging at Kakuzu's sleeve, “I’m talking here. Are you even listening?”

Kakuzu spun around to face Hidan with narrowed eyes and raised his briefcase as if to smack his partner, who flinched in response. With a deep sigh Kakuzu lowered his arm and growled, “You're not even worth hitting.” The comment made Hidan huff in indignation, but Kakuzu didn't have time for his partner to throw a temper tantrum; the quicker it took for him to deliver his bounty meant the sooner he could collect his money. After a few moments of them both being quiet while walking Kakuzu said, “I don't wear my binder every day.” Turning his head to look at Hidan he asked, “Why do you even care?” It was a genuine question that had crossed Kakuzu's mind during all of Hidan's prodding.

The other shrugged. “I dunno,” he replied, “I'm just trying to start a conversation. You're not exactly fun to be around,” Hidan said the last part bitterly as he swatted away a fly; his boredom when accompanying Kakuzu on bounties was always made quite obvious. It was made worse by the fact that his partner wouldn't allow him to make nearly as many sacrifices as he pleased, and Hidan had to hear about how pointless and time consuming his rituals were.

“We are working, this isn't supposed to be ‘fun’.” Kakuzu reminded him, chiding Hidan as if he were a small child. True as Kakuzu's words were, the other still pouted as they walked side by side. Once more a silence fell on the two men, which caused Hidan grow restless. Although not one to embarrass easily, awkward silences still felt, well, awkward, and made Hidan uncomfortable. Although the discomfort wasn’t mutual on Kakuzu’s end, he only got to savor the peace and quiet for half an hour until the sky above rumbled; sure enough, when he looked up at the sky murky clouds had blotted out the sun and a raindrop fell on his skin. More started descending from the heavens, and soon it was pouring down rain on the two unsuspecting men.

“Fucking Hell!” Hidan shouted while trying to cover his head; with a grimace Kakuzu recalled that it was monsoon season, meaning they would be soaked to the bone within minutes if they didn’t find shelter. Quickly glancing around, he spotted an outcropping of rock that would have to be enough to shelter him and his partner until the wall of rain passed. Wordlessly Kakuzu dashed off in the direction of safety as fast as he could while lugging a dead body over his shoulder and Hidan soon followed, both soon sitting on the damp earth as the rain pittered on the rocks above. It was a tight squeeze, but both were able to sit in the shade if they got close enough for their elbows to touch. With a grunt Kakuzu heaved the deceased ninja off his back to rest at his side, the fact that his bounty would become waterlogged the least of his problems as he could feel Hidan’s every move, feel the albinoid’s intense strawberry red eyes on him. A lesser man would have been unnerved by such an intimate closeness, but Kakuzu stared blankly into the heavy rain to pass the time, suppressing all thoughts.

Much to his partner's annoyance, Hidan felt almost compelled to fill the quiet between them with words. “I’m not asking you questions because I question your manhood,” he began, taking off his cloak while he spoke to wring it out, “if that’s why you’re pissy with me. Then again you always are, but my point is,” he said when Kakuzu sighed heavily, “This shit’s all new to me, I don’t know how shit works for you. I don’t really give a shit about whatever you want to call yourself, though. You’re a man, I’ve known you all this time as one. I’m not going to say something fucked up just because you were born different than any other man I’ve known.” Hidan finished with a huff and then turned his body to face away from the other; his words were uncharacteristically serious, Kakuzu guessed his attempt at sincerity. Likewise Kakuzu didn't deem it necessary to continue the conversation, closing his eyes with the intent to rest until the storm passed. Although his partner’s admission didn’t improve his view of the other in any way, it appeased what remained of Kakuzu’s humanity, if only somewhat so.

Hidan wasn’t as stupid as he had initially thought.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> My deepest apologies for taking so long to update! Real life got busy, but I should start posting more frequently as I clean up all of my unfinished projects.
> 
> Kudos and reviews are always appreciated!


	3. Chapter 3

In his day, people like him didn't live openly. No words for them really existed, except for insults and euphemisms; Kakuzu ‘had a condition’ or was ‘that freak’. Back then, men like him either had to live a quiet life or conform to the life that was handed to them, lest they risk living a life that was muted for being too loud. He eventually stopped caring, turned his sorrow into anger, and grew used to people being curious if they found out, as well as learning how to quickly respond to any distasteful comments. Usually it was with his fists; patience, as a virtue, always escaped Kakuzu.

That's where his issues with his previous partners lie; they were from his time as well, had a strict way of thinking that couldn't be bent with words. He had come to expect such pulling of teeth relationships, which is why he didn't have any and kept to himself, and why Hidan managed to do something most people couldn't -surprise Kakuzu. Oh, the other man had taken interest just like so many before, but the crass brute was subtle in this one subject, didn't turn what others saw as a shortcoming into an easy area to tease. There were so many other things about Kakuzu he could insult, Hidan once sneered. Still, Kakuzu had learned long ago not to trust people's words, so he kept expecting harsh mockery that never came; he wondered if it was due to Hidan being a man of similar condition that the other seemed to understand what prior partners didn't, and lived with such condition loudly.

Kakuzu noted only on how many lovers Hidan took, not how varied they were. At first he had pegged his partner as the feminine loving type, but Hidan’s taste changed as if on a whim; male or female, hard or soft, all were viable in his eyes. Although Kakuzu didn't know if Hidan had ever struggled with his attraction to multiple genders in the past, he was certainly shameless about it now. “I assume that wasn't an informant you were with,” Kakuzu said scornfully; his companion smirked as he stepped out of a changing room. As he stood up from the floor Kakuzu added, “And here I thought your cult told you to be chaste.”

“I can fuck as many people as I want as long as I don't knock anyone up,” Hidan waved his partner off, earning a groan. “You're just jealous, aren't you,” as he continued to babble Kakuzu tuned him out. They were staying at an inn, nothing luxurious by any means, but it had adequate amenities and access to a nearby hot spring. As much as Kakuzu enjoyed being a hardass on his partner, he secretly disliked sleeping out in the wilderness just as much as the other man. It was one that couldn't afford to turn away their business, despite them donning their Akatsuki attire when they booked a room; now, in nothing but a simple robe, Kakuzu followed Hidan out into the bathing area as he pretended to listen.

There weren't many other patrons there to begin with, and at that time late in the night meant the two outlaws had the bath to themselves for the most part. It was no more than part of the spring fenced in in an outside enclosure, with a large wall going down the middle to divide the spring into two sections for each sex. Already stripped down to his undergarments, Hidan immediately waded into the steaming pool, sighing as the warmth seeped into him. Noticing that his companion was still standing on the gravel hesitantly, he beckoned for the other to join him and said seriously, “Can you do this?”

Kakuzu recognized that tone and hated it, that the other man almost cared and was genuine with his intentions. Hidan had it whenever he asked Kakuzu if he was okay, if he needed a break, if he wanted to take off his binder and stop for the night. Kakuzu hated how Hidan made him feel. “I'm fine,” he quipped warningly, then carefully cast off the robe and joined his partner. The cool air was sharp on his exposed skin in contrast to the heat of the spring lapping at him with the waves; as comfortable as Kakuzu was with his body, it brought him relief to submerge his bare form in the water. Already Hidan had diverted his attention to exploring the rest of the area, Kakuzu resting his back against a rock as he observed his partner wade around. What a dolt, he mused to himself, shaking his head before resting his eyes.

There was another pair of men in the spring as well, conversing with themselves amicably in the other corner. With great practice he was easily able to tune them out, although something they said must have annoyed his partner, for after they laughed to themselves Kakuzu caught a muttered profanity from Hidan. He otherwise enjoyed himself, not noticing the other patrons file out; he only opened his eyes when his companion came up to him. “You have the whole spring to relax in, and you choose to stand right next to me,” Kakuzu grumbled with half lidded, tired evergreen eyes.

“Whatever, I think I'm done anyway,” Hidan replied, surprising Kakuzu that he didn't try to argue back. He then waded back to shore and entered the inn as if to turn in for the night, and Kakuzu didn't follow him until a shout interrupted the serene setting. Cursing to himself, Kakuzu rushed out of the water and threw his robe back on, only having enough time to sloppily tie it before he entered the changing room, coming across quite the scene.

One of the other men from outside was pushed up on his back against the lockers, Hidan towering over him with a vice grip around the stranger's neck. Both men were only half dressed, but Hidan barely had a mark on his body whereas forming bruises littered that of the other man's; Hidan's fist was pulled back to deliver another punch when Kakuzu growled, “What the Hell are you doing?”

Refusing to face his partner, Hidan stared daggers into the stranger's eyes as the muscles in his arms twitched. Exhaling sharply, he then reluctantly dropped his fist and muttered, “I overheard him talking shit with his friend, and I confronted him about it.”

Sarcastically Kakuzu asked, “What, did he say that you are deficient down there?” But Hidan scowled instead of getting flustered.

Eventually Hidan peered over at his partner and grumbled, “He saw your chest as you got in the pool. Said that you should have went to the other section.”

It didn't occur to Kakuzu that his partner would be protective of him, and perhaps he wasn't, but Hidan was certainly loyal and pious in his convictions, not to mention confrontational. Perhaps the other had deemed Kakuzu worthy of his loyalty, or it went against his dubious moral code to let bigotry go unpunished; perhaps it was a mix of both. Although it relieved something withered deep inside Kakuzu, something that had been starving for a moment, for a person like this, he wouldn't give his partner the satisfaction of his approval and said, “Let him go; he's not worth us getting kicked out over. What are you going to say if he reports this to the innkeeper?”

As Hidan let go of the stranger and let him scurry away, he replied seriously, “I will say that I had to defend your honor.” He then tossed Kakuzu’s clothes at him and stormed out.

It was then Kakuzu realized that having an ally wasn't a bad thing.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm sorry that it took so long to update! A lot of things came up in my personal life and I struggled to find the inspiration to keep working on this. I hope you enjoyed reading this, and feel free to leave a comment!

**Author's Note:**

> Thank you for reading! If you liked it, feel free to leave a comment and/or give a kudos!


End file.
